Ibanez Pestilence

Patrick Mameli (Pestilence) had been seen playing headless guitars lately. Just before the official announcement, he was seen playing this QX52 during the band's Kasel (Germany) date.

A few days later, he's officially listed on Ibanez's endorser roster. So the Q-Series has an official metal ambassador. This is significant because the other Q-toting artist who has a much larger guitar fan base is Ichika Nito & he's not the metal type. This is an unofficial statement by Ibanez saying their Q models are that versatile. 

Pics: Pestilence / Ibanez

Heavy listing

Have not been swinging by places to get CDs but these are the latest 2 acquisitions:

• Pestilence- Hadeon: Mameli & company are still fronting it after all these years. I thought the band called it quits post-Obsideo because there was an announcement of no-recording commitments after the album release. You should listen to Pestilence because they are the heavy proponents in death metal. While others got away with speed, Pestilence takes their time to propel good music first & foremost.
• Memoriam- The Silent Vigil: I'm really glad the band is putting out stuff like this instead of treading the Bolt Thrower path. We can't really un-hear the BT bits in this one because 50% of the line-up are products of BT & they're pretty proud of the heritage. We don't mind that at all but we need to respect the band for who they are & this release gives us every reason to do so. The bass here has so much presence; it's threatening to define the album.

Change & hiatus

Voivod just announced the departure of Blacky. That's a bummer but Blacky did leave the band back in 1991 only to return thereafter.

Some days before the Piggy situation, Pestilence announced that they are putting things on ice. That's another bummer (for me) because they are one of they very few death metal acts to be currently immersed in the 8-string culture. The entire week had not been kind (again, to me) any way.

Pestilence: Doctrine

If you are a cult Pestilence fan, this one would let you down. It's all about the guitars, the ones featured here seem to have down-shifted in terms of technicality & intensity. However, there's a commanding presence simply because the band had stayed true to their music despite a varied presentation. We move on with the bass &  drums which often take a shadow role when it comes to this music genre but I must say Jeroen Paul Thesseling & Yuma Van Eekelen had outdone themselves here (bass & drums respectively). In fact, I personally feel that they have moved to the front of the music leaving the guitars, in this case, to cog the music on.

Ibanez - Pyramid

It's good to know that I'm not the only one fitting Pyramid strings into (some of) my Ibanez guitars; the Pestilence guys are at it as well... So it means Pyramid strings are quality products after all, eh? We usually come to such a conclusion- brand name embrace by recognized players imply a quality endorsement but it's really a personal experience/ appeal. I know those Pyramid strings are above average products, it's all about what works for you.

Pestilence: Resurrection Macabre

Ardent fans would find this release an anti-climax because largely, they are bent on believing the band would pull-off another Spheres. However, that release was a reflection of its time- it's the moment of capacity where aggressive music proved itself worthy by showcasing technical proficiency, hence the existence of bands like Cynic & Atheist, among others.

However, I like Resurrection Macabre for its bona fide good offering; it still showcases four people who can play very well & there's some very good arrangement & intriguing musicianship in the mix. I particularly like the guitar tones here; very cutting without losing the aggressive edge. Tony Choy is still the very much sought after death metal bassist with lots of technical prowess to exhibit.